G
Gene K.
Scout
ScoutTuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills
Early April visit
Beautiful, quiet campground. Great views of the Whitney Portal and Owens Valley. No water in early April. Sites are free of trash and pretty well maintained.
Discover Camping Near Alabama Hills, California
Alabama Hills, California provides dispersed and established camping opportunities throughout Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Alabama Hills Recreation Area offers free dispersed camping with sites scattered among unique rock formations, while developed options include Tuttle Creek Campground and Whitney Portal with more amenities. Tent camping, RV sites, and cabin rentals are available within the broader region, with options ranging from primitive dispersed sites to full-hookup campgrounds like Boulder Creek RV Resort in Lone Pine.
Road access varies significantly between campgrounds in the Alabama Hills area, with some requiring high-clearance vehicles. Movie Road provides the main access point for dispersed camping in Alabama Hills, with numerous unmarked pullouts suitable for overnight stays. Most dispersed sites lack amenities like water, toilets, or trash service, though established campgrounds offer varying levels of facilities. Fire restrictions frequently apply, especially during dry summer months. A visitor noted: "The BLM page for Alabama Hills gives perfect directions: take Hwy 395 to Lone Pine, turn west at the stoplight onto Whitney Portal Road, drive 2.5 miles to Movie Road, turn right."
Campers consistently praise the dramatic landscape of the Alabama Hills area, which features distinctive weathered granite boulders with Sierra Nevada mountain views. Many reviews highlight the privacy and spaciousness of dispersed camping areas despite their proximity to Lone Pine. According to one visitor, "This spot was an absolute gem nestled in some amazingly beautiful rock formations. The spot was right off the main road and didn't take much effort to get to." Developed campgrounds like Diaz Lake provide lake access, though reviews indicate they can become crowded and noisy during peak season. Sites near water sources tend to have more abundant insects than the drier dispersed locations in the rocky terrain. The Alabama Hills camping area has gained popularity due to its use as a filming location for numerous movies and commercials, which has increased visitation in recent years.
Best Camping Sites Near Alabama Hills, California (177)
1. Alabama Hills Recreation Area
87 ReviewsLone Pine, CA2 milesWebsite+1 (760) 872-5000"We absolutely love Alabama Hills. BLM land so you can camp anywhere. So many beautiful views."
"Alabama Hills California presents a varied landscape. From the picture above you can plainly see the desert floor to MT. Whitney, snow capped in March of 2018."
2. Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills
46 ReviewsAlabama Hills, CA2 milesWebsite$10 / night
"Near Lone Pine, just off Whitney Portal Road, adjacent to Alabama Hills, so lots of exploring opportunities! Great dark skies for stargazing and photography."
"This spot is great if you want easy access to Alabama Hills but don’t want to deal with having no toilets and no reservations. Still beautiful views throughout the campgrounds."
3. Whitney Portal
31 ReviewsAlabama Hills, CA8 milesWebsite+1 (760) 937-6070$34 - $95 / night
"There are hiking trails from the campground itself, a gorgeous river flowing through it and the camp sites are spacious."
"It is close to Whitney portal, alabama hills, onion valley, and many other hiking/backpacking destinations. We took out 7 and 9 year old boys and they had a blast."
4. Boulder Creek RV Resort
17 ReviewsAlabama Hills, CA3 milesWebsite+1 (760) 876-4243$38 - $75 / night
"The Dyrt listing shows they have a dump station but when we stopped in after a trip to Alabama Hills we were informed their dump station was no longer 'operational'."
"It's on the outskirts of downtown Lone Pine, but the views are beautiful of the mountains and the RV park is spacious with plenty of room to get your steps in. "
5. Lone Pine
14 ReviewsAlabama Hills, CA6 milesWebsite+1 (760) 937-6070$34 - $81 / night
"All around a killer spot. If it weren’t for the Alabama hills being even better, even cheaper, even more private, it would be a no brainer. But if you want any facilities...."
"While visiting Alabama Hills Recreation Area (AHRA) we made Lone Pine on our next stop for our second campsite and to relax for my 44th birthday 🎂 Since the terrain is a little different it was a nice"
6. Diaz Lake Campground
15 ReviewsAlabama Hills, CA2 milesWebsite+1 (760) 873-5577$14 - $35 / night
"This is a small lake and they limit the number of motorboats to 25, which is about 20 too many in my estimation. "
"This is a great driving reprieve from traveling along the 395! A lovely little lake surrounded by giant oak trees that offer lots of nice shade to spend time resting."
7. Portuguese Joe Campground
11 ReviewsLone Pine, CA2 milesWebsite+1 (760) 873-5577$14 / night
"Big points for being close to a great little town - highly recommend Alabama Hills bakery. Cell service good enough for streaming."
"Not the dispersed camping I was looking for but at least I found something because Alabama Hills and Tuttle Creek were packed on a Friday afternoon."
8. Alabama Hills Side Trail Dispersed Campsite
6 ReviewsLone Pine, CA1 mile"The BLM page for Alabama Hills gives perfect directions the coordinates below took us out of town east. Take Hwy 395 to Lone Pine."
"walk less than 100 yards and go climbing."
9. Alabama Hills on Movie Flat Road
4 ReviewsLone Pine, CA3 miles"Exploring Alabama Hills on Movie Flat Road is like stepping onto a film set straight out of a Western movie."
"All the sites are designated so look for the map at the entrance to find one. We arrived on a Monday afternoon at 5 pm (mid may) and found just one site left."
10. Alabama Hills on Movie Road
1 ReviewLone Pine, CA5 miles"Hello TheDyrt Community, The Alabama Hills on Movie Road, located in California, is a stunning desert landscape famous for its unique rock formations and breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada mountains"
Recent Camping Photos near Alabama Hills, CA
357 Photos of 177 Alabama Hills Campgrounds
Vincent B.
Alabama Hills Dispersed Campsite
erin T.
Diaz Lake Campground
C N.
Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills
ELSA D.
Alabama Hills Recreation Area
Anna R.
Movie Road/Alabama Hills Dispersed Camping
Mariana C.
Lone Pine
Katie T.
Whitney Portal
Mike M.
Whitney Family Campground
Les R.
Mt. Whitney Trail Camp
Brittany N.
Guitar Lake Backcountry — Sequoia National Park
Spencer
Symmes Creek
Erin M.
Independence Creek Campground
Recent Reviews near Alabama Hills, CA
917 Reviews of 177 Alabama Hills Campgrounds
Mike E.
LegendBoulder Creek RV Resort
Convenient Owens valley stop in lone pine
Near the Mount Whitney portal, and also near the turnoff to death valley. Full hookups well run campground. The Wi-Fi is weak but good enough for text and email. Was greeted by very helpful staff. Nice store for camping necessities. Quiet. Big park.
Vidalia S.LegendPotwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park
Book in advance
One of the few campsites that is open in the park (Dorst and Buckeye Flats being closed for the 2026 season) this site books up fast. Beautiful wooded site with lots of wildlife and shade. Wildlife includes bears, but all we saw was a turkey walking through the campsite. Lots of walking trails available from there campsite. Communal water, toilets, dumpster, recycling and pump out available. Each site seems to have a fire ring with a grate, a picnic table, and a bear box. No T-Mobile coverage, but you can get Wi-Fi at the visitor station.
- Vidalia S.Legend
Horse Creek
No same day reservation
Sort of weird setup, with no same-day reservation and don't come by and see if any sites are unreserved and available. It seems you must reserve online 24 hours in advance, so it's not surprising that there are a lot of other rules here. The gates close at 9:00 p.m. The sites themselves are nice, located in a grassy meadow around a reservoir This is the most grass we have seen in several months. Water levels are high right now, and some sites are actually flooded but you can enjoy fishing, swimming, and boating in the reservoir. Each site seems to have a picnic table and a fire ring with a grill on it. Some sites have shade awnings. There are both pull through and back in and tent only sites. Communal pump out, trash, recycling, and water is available. It looks like they are using porta-John's and flush toilet facilities. The showers only run for a few seconds and you have to keep hitting the button to get more water, but it is hot. Good T-Mobile coverage. Very close to Sequoia National Park. Short drive to Three Rivers or Visalia for resupply. This campground is a bargain.
- Vidalia S.Legend
Fairview Campground
Closed to camping
Unfortunately, the Fairview site was closed to camping when we were there in mid-March. The day use area was still available.
- Vidalia S.Legend
Sequoia National Forest Upper Peppermint Dispersed Area
This is not Upper Peppermint campsite
We were here March 20th and had a great deal of difficulty finding any open campsites or even any open Forest Roads to look for dispersed camping, presumably due to recent wildfires and concern about falling fire damaged trees. The road to Upper Peppermint campsite appeared to be open but was quite rough and muddy. Luckily, there was a large open area just off the highway with room for at least eight campsites with fire rings, and minimal damage from the recent fires. No T-mobile coverage. Close to the road, but otherwise one of our favorite sites, in a forest otherwise devastated by wildfire.
- Vidalia S.Legend
Dome Rock Dispersed Camping
Open! But barely.
Lots of campsites and lots of the forest roads are closed due to the recent wildfires and danger from falling fire damaged trees. Dome Rock viewing Road is open but when we were there March 20th 2025, a tree had recently fallen across the road and although a section had been removed, allowing enough room for a vehicle to pass the tree was not cleared completely. When you get to the fork in the road, the road leading left is blocked by another fallen tree. The road that continues straight becomes quite rutted, uneven and steep. But you can turn left and drive around the fallen tree and there is a large open flat area with a fire pit suitable for camping. There seem to be other places farther along the road to the left. There is no T-Mobile coverage.
- Vidalia S.Legend
Redwood Meadow
Closed
This campground was closed when we went by on March 20th, 2026. I believe it is because of the recent fires.
- Steve O.
GuideAlabama Hills Side Trail Dispersed Campsite
Looks like a mind-blowing spot
I'm a remote worker and I was hoping to camp here for a few days but I could not get a T-Mobile signal. Only at the beginning of going up the road. Did I get signal.
Guide to Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills camping area sits at approximately 4,000-5,000 feet elevation at the eastern base of California's Sierra Nevada range, creating a dramatic transition zone between alpine mountains and high desert. The region experiences extreme temperature variations with summer days often exceeding 90°F while winter nights can drop well below freezing. Seasonal wind patterns through nearby Owens Valley can create sudden gusts that impact tent camping, particularly during spring and fall transition periods.
What to Do
Sunrise photography at Mobius Arch: Located a short hike from Movie Road, this natural stone arch perfectly frames Mount Whitney. "The moon rise was quite the experience. Then sunrise... it was all just so beautiful," notes a visitor to Alabama Hills Recreation Area.
Fishing at Diaz Lake: This accessible spot near Lone Pine offers trout fishing opportunities throughout the year. "There was a nice stream you could fish with some trout," reports a camper at Lone Pine Campground.
Explore filming locations: The area has been featured in numerous films including Iron Man and Star Wars. "Very nice view. Some clips of the film Ironman and Star Wars took place," mentions a visitor to Alabama Hills Side Trail.
Acclimatize before Whitney hikes: Use lower elevation campgrounds to adjust before attempting higher altitudes. "This campground is right at the trailhead for Mt. Whitney! Because of this the campgrounds do fill up insanely quick! Be sure to book at least 2-3 months out," advises a camper at Whitney Portal.
What Campers Like
Spacing between sites: Many dispersed camping areas provide privacy despite popularity. "All with amazing views. SUV would probably be best for navigating the roads or at least 4x4. They're all pretty far apart so they're private," explains a camper at Alabama Hills Recreation Area.
Creek sounds: Several campgrounds feature flowing water that creates soothing background noise. "The campground was nice, quiet. There's a pretty little creek that splits the campground that gives off soothing sounds," notes a visitor at Portuguese Joe Campground.
Dark skies for astronomy: The area's limited light pollution makes it ideal for stargazing. "It's so quiet at night you could hear a pin drop. The stars and the Milky Way are insane! So many constellations and shooting stars and satellites," shares an Alabama Hills Recreation Area visitor.
Winter camping value: Off-season camping offers both solitude and savings. "Perfect... $5 winter camping. Water is at Portuguese Joe's county campground," reports a camper at Tuttle Creek Campground.
What You Should Know
Campsite restrictions changing: Recent management changes have limited dispersed camping areas. "The only places you can camp are designated now. Tuttle creek. Everywhere else there are signs for no camping and only day use," cautions a 2025 visitor to Alabama Hills Recreation Area.
Arrival timing matters: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially during peak seasons. "Definitely a place you'd want to show up 4-5 hours early to find a spot. Otherwise, the roads were not too bad," advises an Alabama Hills camper.
Elevation temperature differences: Expect significant temperature changes between valley and mountain campsites. "Gets pretty toast in the summer though," warns a camper about Alabama Hills, while another notes "Below freezing temps were well worth the stunning views."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Alabama Hills, CA?
What camping is available near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Alabama Hills, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 177 campgrounds and RV parks near Alabama Hills, CA and 55 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Alabama Hills, CA?
Which is the most popular campground near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Alabama Hills, CA is Alabama Hills Recreation Area with a 4.7-star rating from 87 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Alabama Hills, CA?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 55 free dispersed camping spots near Alabama Hills, CA.
What parks are near Alabama Hills, CA?
What parks are near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 parks near Alabama Hills, CA that allow camping, notably Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
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